Seven Days of You and Me
by FlyingCloudCats
Summary: They became friends on a Friday. They started dating on a Monday. The life of Jack and Merida defined by moments in accordance to the days of the week. Originally written for Jarida Week.
1. Friday

It was a Friday when they became friends.

The sky was bleeding a deep indigo when Jack walked out of the wide oak doors of DunBroch &amp; Co. and into the frosty December air. He pulled his coat tighter around him in a huff. Normally, he would have taken the time to savor the first snowflakes of the season. He found that he was always happiest during winter. But the day had been particularly hard and a certain monster with hair as red as her fiery attitude unleashed her most frightening and demeaning roar yet.

Jack heaved a long and defeated sigh that came out as tiny white puffs. His anger had yet to subside so he decided to walk the way home than ride the bus as he would usually do. He wasn't paid enough to get constantly yelled at. He wasn't even paid for heaven's sake! Immersed in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice the yellow cab coming up at him when he crossed the street. The car horn blared loudly and Jack turned just in time. The driver yelled from his open window, "Watch where you're going, you moron!"

"Fuck you, too!" Jack muttered through gritted teeth before storming away.

Jack had been walking for almost an hour and was halfway home when he put his hand in his pocket and realized to his horror that his keys were missing. He stopped in his tracks, fumbling his other pockets. Instead of finding his keys, however, he merely cussed again because his phone was lost as well. Jack tried to retrace his steps, thinking furiously if he had been robbed at some point during his walk.

"No. Impossible," he whispered to himself. _They're back at the office, _he thought with a chill. He'd rather have them stolen than have to return to the wretched office to retrieve them.

Having no choice but to go back, Jack turned around before breaking into a sprint. Hopefully, the firm would still be open and princess hothead would have been long gone by the time he got there.

Only one of his prayers was answered, however. The firm was still definitely open and Jack cringed when he realized why.

Jack made his way through the dimly lit corridor of the ninth floor. He reached the main office and pushed the glass doors open. It was deserted and almost pitch black, save for the bars of light coming out from the tiny edges of the door at the right side of the room. _It can't be, _he thought desperately, _she's still here? _His desk was at the far corner of the room and to get there, he had to pass her office. But if Jack had to be proud of anything he was capable of, it would be his ability to go unnoticed. He was always stealthy, which became quite handy during the times when he and his sister had nothing to eat. Having worked there for almost four months, Jack could easily maneuver between the desks even with his eyes closed. He didn't dare stop to look at the illuminated room to his right. Before he knew it, he had found his keys and phone in the small drawer at his desk.

Jack allowed himself a small smirk of triumph before heading back. He was about to leave when he heard soft muffled sobs. Curiosity got the better of him and before he could stop to make sense of what he was doing, he stood near the door and took a peek at his boss's private office. For a moment, all he could see was the heap of untamed red curls piled on the wooden table. Suddenly, the familiar tune of Jack's phone sliced through the silence of the room. He cursed himself mentally as he turned his phone off in haste. His effort to remain unseen was futile because at that very moment, the bush of hair shot up and revealed a wide-eyed Merida.

"Overland? What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise and anger.

"Uh…I'm sorry Miss Dunbroch. I forgot my phone and keys when I left earlier. I didn't mean to bother," Jack mumbled in a rush. When he calmed down, he noticed Merida's puffy red eyes and her tear-stained cheeks.

"Are you alright?" he asked warily.

"Do I look alright to you?" Merida questioned, flicking an eyebrow.

"I just want to help."

"Why? I just yelled at you this afternoon. Or have you forgotten?"

Jack twitched at her reaction though he somewhat expected it. He knew his relationship with Merida was never particularly pleasant, but he did not have the heart to leave her in such a state.

"Of course I haven't," he said, daringly opening the door wide enough so he can step into the room. "But I'm willing to look past it considering that it's after office hours already. And I'm not leaving until you're finally alright."

"You won't understand. Besides, it's all so stupid anyway."

"It's never stupid if it's enough to cry about."

Merida glared at him, deciding what to do with the indomitable man now sitting across from her. She weighed her options. She wanted desperately to be alone, yet at the same time, found the need to talk to somebody about her problems. She feared that if she continued to bottle it up any longer, she'd explode.

Merida rolled her eyes dejectedly, deciding to let her guard down and trust Jack enough to seek for help. "All right then. If you can promise that whatever happens tonight will only be between the two of us, then I'll tell you."

"Why? Do you have anything else planned to do with me, princess?" Jack mumbled as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, but inside he was delighted and a bit astonished to hear Merida's verdict.

"You disgust me, Overland," Merida said and reached out to shove him roughly for good measure.

Jack feigned hurt inciting a laugh from Merida. His lips broke into a wide smile when he heard the melodious tone of the foreign sound. He had never heard or seen her laugh throughout the four months he had spent in the firm, and he found her laughter even lovelier because of it. He almost felt his stomach drop in disappointment when she stopped.

"I didn't know you could laugh," he teased, earning another hit in the arm.

"You are hopeless. You can just leave."

"No! You said you'd tell me."

"Well, then, _shut up_."

Jack rolled his eyes as Merida positioned herself to a more comfortable position on her chair. "I'm tired," she began. "I don't think I can keep doing this."

Jack wasn't sure what she was talking about so he remained silent to see if she would continue.

"I haven't been able to sleep for weeks. I'm still quite overwhelmed with Mum's decision to leave the MacGuffin Case to me and the trial is only two weeks away."

"You're an excellent lawyer, and I'm not just saying that to suck up to the boss," Jack said, sincerely disturbed by her sudden lack of confidence.

Merida resisted the urge to make a witty retort of her own and went on. "It's my first case alone. I fear that if I don't win it, I could very well disappoint my mum and cause terrible repercussions on the firm. The MacGuffin Case is one of the biggest cases the firm has ever had. If I fail, I will never be able to live it down.

"Sometimes, I wish I could just leave. Leave everything behind. Don't get me wrong. I love my work. It's just that, if I was given the chance to choose, it wouldn't be my first choice."

Jack's brows knotted in confusion. For all he knew, Merida was born to be a lawyer. He couldn't see her as anything but. She had a way with words and possessed the rare ability to persuade anyone to side with her by merely speaking.

"What did you really want to do, then?" he asked.

"Nah, it's stupid."

"Well, it can't possibly be stupider than mine."

Merida looked at him in curiosity, her eyes silently prodding him to continue. Jack took the hint. A secret for a secret. He leaned back into his chair, folding his arms over his chest. "It wasn't really stupid. Just ambitious. Very ambitious. For a long time, I had only one dream and it was to become a world-renowned pianist. I wanted to compose my own songs and get invited to fancy music events. Everyone would know my name and say how brilliant my music is. It was my father who taught me how to play. I was very young and always fascinated whenever I would watch him play. I learned fast. I remember Dad telling me that I was even better than him when he was just beginning."

Jack smiled at the memory but grimaced at the one that followed.

"My father died when I was thirteen. He battled cancer for two years, but he finally gave out. It left my mom, sister, and me with a lot of unpaid hospital bills. When we finally paid the remaining ones almost two years later, it was Mom who got sick. We had no money left so I had to do the only thing I could think of."

"You sold the piano," Merida finished.

Jack nodded. "It was our only fortune left. At least, it was the only thing in our house that could pay for my mother's medicine. Then, three days later, Emma and I were orphans. My two uncles took custody of us back and forth until I got old enough to take care of Emma on my own. It was my uncle North who suggested that I become a lawyer, promising that he would pay for law school. I didn't want to. I still don't want to. But here we are. Anyway, I haven't played the piano since. I don't even know if I still can."

"That's a shame. I would have loved to hear you play," Merida said, surprising both of them so she added, "Only to judge if you were really _that _good."

Jack snorted a laugh.

"I guess it's my turn. I think it's only fitting that I tell you my story, don't you think?"

"Yes, I dare say, princess."

"Very well, then. I wanted nothing more but to travel. I never exactly imagined myself being stuck in one place. When I was growing up in Scotland, I was almost never at home. Our family owns a large farm there. I would go out into the fields and ride my horse, Angus. Sometimes, I would shoot the ripe apples hanging from the trees with my arrows."

"Your arrows?"

"I'm an archer," was Merida's frank reply. There was an unmistakable hint of pride in her voice.

"Whoa. That's a pretty weird hobby. As if you're not intimidating enough. You have to add a bow and arrow in the picture!"

"You think I'm intimidating?"

"Do you think you're not?"

"Idiot," Merida said as she shook her head, but let out a hearty laugh in spite of herself.

"Do you really think _I'm_ an idiot?"

"Yes. Especially today. I have to be honest, I'm still not sorry for lashing out on you earlier. You know now of my concerns regarding the Case so you must understand why I did what I did. Don't gloat or anything, but you're honestly one of the best interns here. That's why I don't understand why you suddenly became unfocused on your work."

Jack's high spirits almost deflated once more. He had nearly forgotten about it and he rather hated Merida for bringing it up. He sighed, "I didn't mean to. It's just that I can't pay the rent of our apartment anymore, and Emma and I have had a hard time looking for a place to stay. We just found one yesterday."

Merida nodded in understanding but did not say anything. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then Jack said, "I guess we're not so different after all. We have our own fair share of forgotten dreams."

"Who says we have to forget about them? We can still change our fate, Jack," Merida exclaimed, a sparkle gleaming in her eyes. For a reason she could not fathom, she was no longer afraid—not of the coming trial or the prospect of altering her life. The heavy burden on her shoulders had been lifted, and she felt like she could do anything.

Jack, on the other hand, was stunned to silence, the corners of his thin lips curved in a small smile.

"What's with you?" Merida asked when he did not respond.

"You called me Jack."

Merida recalled then flashed a smile of her own. "I suppose I have. I can't believe it, Overland. You've grown on me for the past hour."

Jack grinned broadly this time. "Does this mean I get to call you Merida from now on?"

"We'll see."


	2. Saturday

It was a Saturday when they first woke up as man and wife.

When Jack awakened from his deep and dreamless sleep, he found himself in an unfamiliar space. The room was wide with wooden furniture arranged neatly in places. The bed was thrice as large as his old one, and a colorful quilt lay on top of him. It took him a moment before he remembered that he was at Scotland. For his three-day honeymoon. After his wedding yesterday.

Jack had not the slightest idea how tiresome a wedding could be. His muscles still ached in fatigue at the memory. Looking back, the following seven months after he proposed to Merida were reduced to a blur for him. They had wanted a small wedding, but when Fergus found out, he was adamant about giving his only daughter the grandest wedding both Scotland and America had ever seen. The young couple tried to reason with Merida's father, but he still refused to listen. It was only when Elinor stepped in and told him the impossibility of his plan that he agreed to have a grand enough wedding instead. It was as far as he would go, so Jack and Merida had no choice but to agree.

Jack was still in a state of disbelief. He was married. He was finally married to the woman he loved. He knew that Merida had qualms about marriage and waited five years before he had the courage to propose. To his surprise, she said yes without a moment's hesitation. With his heart overflowing with joy, he still wondered if everything had been just a dream. But the silver band sat snugly on his finger, smiling up at him in reassurance. And when Jack looked down beside him, there she lay with her head nestled on his chest. Merida's mouth hung open slightly, soft snores escaping at intervals. Her red mane was wrapped around her messily, as often as it did when she was awake. He chuckled softly at the sight of her. She did not look in the least bit attractive; but to him, she was the most beautiful of all because everything about her was real.

Soon enough, Merida stirred and her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was Jack's face hovering just inches above her. His brown eyes were warm and loving and she knew she would never tire of seeing them every morning.

"What are you staring at?" she asked sleepily but with a hint of mock-annoyance.

"Only at the most beautiful princess I have ever seen. You give Sleeping Beauty a run for her money," Jack answered with a grin.

"Such a flatterer, you are. I don't know why I ever agreed to marry you," Merida said, turning to her other side so that her back was now facing Jack.

"Is it because I'm handsome?" Jack said teasingly as he sat up. "Or maybe it's because I'm quite an accomplished lawyer? But then again, so are you. In fact, you're even better than me. Hmm…let me think. Perhaps it has something to do with my charm? I am quite the persuader, so they say. Or maybe it was for my body?"

With that, Jack slumped back down on the bed and wrapped his arms around Merida's waist, matching the arch of her curved body.

"Dream on, Overland!" Merida exclaimed, elbowing him softly in the chest.

"Or let me take a wild guess. You married me because you love me, didn't you, Overland?" he whispered in her ear to which Merida answered by turning her head and placing a tender kiss on her husband's mouth.

"All of the above," she murmured when they parted, her warm breath tickling Jack's lips. He smiled and said, "I knew it," before kissing her once more.

Merida settled on Jack's chest again, his arms enveloping her in a warm embrace. He took in the scent of her hair which smelled of apples.

"Good morning, my wife."


	3. Sunday

It was a Sunday when they had their first big fight as a couple.

Being Jack and Merida, they have shared more than a hundred arguments before they were even friends. And shared perhaps even more once they were. Their stubbornness always got in the way of things. But ultimately, they fought for the fun of it. Life tended to be tedious without the occasional banter.

But on one particularly humid Sunday evening, the shouting from either side of the room were not of the petty sort. One was angry, the other desperate. Jack had come over to Merida's apartment to question where she was the day before. She was caught off guard by his sudden outburst.

Merida had been working vigorously on a new case over the weekend and was surprised to hear loud urgent knocks rapping on her door. Then she heard a voice.

"Merida! Open up!" It was Jack. And he was unmistakably in a foul mood.

Merida made her way to the door, all the while thinking of reasons why Jack was possibly fuming and what she would do to him for interrupting her work.

"Stop shouting like a madman already," she said as she opened the door. "You're causing such a racket, it's a wonder the neighbors haven't come out yet."

"Let them hear me, then!" Jack muttered, walking past her to get inside. His thick brown brows were knotted in irritation.

In a quieter voice, he spoke again. "Do you have any idea what happened yesterday?"

At the door, Merida turned around to face him, blinking, as if allowing the question to register in her mind. Her eyes widened when she remembered. "The trial. What happened?" she asked in anticipation.

Jack smiled, but it was not without acid. "You would have known if you were there."

Her face fell. "I was working, Jack. I have my own case to take care of as you can see," she said, pointing at her desk cluttered with all sorts of papers.

"Well, Merida, in case you forgot. That case was the make or break of my career. It's the most important one yet. I'm sorry if I'm not yet as accomplished as you are, but you should have known how big of a deal this was for me. And you weren't there," Jack cried, his voice growing louder with each sentence.

"Of course I knew. And I have supported you through and through. Don't pin the blame on me just because I failed to come yesterday."

"You're the one who kept telling me that there is not a more important event in a lawyer's career than his first trial. I've always been there for you, Merida, even when I had to focus on my own work. You know that."

"Well, I didn't ask for you to be there."

"The point is that I was. And you couldn't be there for me. You're so caught up with your job that you start forgetting everything else that matters."

Jack had not touched her, and yet his words made Merida feel as if she was just slapped hard in the face. "I thought you knew what you signed up for when you decided that you wanted to be in this relationship? You know my job always comes first."

"Of course I know. And I respect that. But is it so selfish of me to ask for even a small piece of your time?"

"What do you want me to do, Jack?"

Jack took a deep breath and looked directly at Merida. Her azure eyes seemed as depthless as an ocean. "I just want you to be there. When I need you. Can you do that?"

Merida dropped her gaze, her voice quiet. "I can't always be there, Jack. You have to understand."

Jack felt himself nodding. His chest was tightening, his vision slowly blurring because of the tears forming in his eyes. He had to get out before he lost control of himself. He didn't know what he would do if he broke down in front of her.

Jack crossed the room to the door. But before he could leave, he looked over his shoulder to the equally grief-stricken woman behind him. He had to turn his eyes away because when he saw the way she looked, his anger almost dissipated.

"I won, by the way," were his last words before he twisted the knob and left.

Merida was left crumpled on the floor, feeling as pathetic as she probably appeared. Her head shot up again when she heard a knock on the door after a few minutes. The sound was softer this time. Was it Jack coming up to apologize? Or did he want to quarrel some more?

"Come in," she said, straining her voice so it was loud enough to be heard.

When the door opened, however, it was not Jack who stood at the other side. It was someone far worse. Merida tried to compose herself, but before she knew it, she found herself being cradled in her mother's arms.

"My dear lass," Elinor said as she ran a hand down her daughter's back in circular motions. "What happened?"

Merida pulled away from her mother, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she found no words. Instead, the tears started pouring and Elinor had to hold her close again. In spite of her desire to remain strong in front of her mother, Merida's energy was drained. All of a sudden, she was three again, afraid of the raging storm, and her mother was there to keep her safe.

When she had calmed down after what seemed like an eternity, Merida tried to speak again. This time, the words came out easily and she was able to tell Elinor what had happened—Jack's unannounced visit, his accusations, and most importantly, the frustration she felt over herself.

"I don't know what to do, Mum. I can't be in this relationship if I want to focus on my work. I'm not ready for the commitment. I thought I was, but I'm not so sure anymore," she said, ending her speech.

For the past ten minutes, Elinor remained silent, soaking in the details of Merida's story like a sponge. So when the time had come when it was her turn to speak, she had already chosen the right path to take with the conversation. She cleared her throat. "Then why did you agree to be in a relationship with him?"

"Because I thought Jack would understand. We've been friends long enough for him to know _me_," she answered.

"Merida," Elinor said. There was always an authoritative tone in her measured voice. Respect easily came from those who listened to her. More often than not, it was only Merida who dared oppose her because of their very different views. Nonetheless, she knew she had to aid her daughter. It would take but a small push to get her where she needs to be.

"You always want Jack to understand. But do _you _understand _him_? It takes two people to make a relationship work. Certain sacrifices must be made. Don't make yourselves suffer if you're not ready," Elinor finished.

Merida's eyes widened. What did her mother want her to do? "You want me to let him go?"

"I can't tell you what to do, Merida. You have to make the decision for yourself."

There was a pause. Then suddenly, Merida stood up, thanked her mother, and hurried out of the apartment. She had only two things in mind—her destination and what she would do when she got there.

Merida was panting when she reached the third floor of a dingy apartment. She came face to face with the familiar pale yellow door and knocked. She was going over her readied speech in her head when the door was answered by a young girl. Merida was ready to speak, but the girl beat her to it.

"He's at the roof," Emma said and Merida wasted no time to get there.

The roof, as always, was cluttered with old broken furniture. A sofa with its rusty springs sticking out in random places. An upturned chair with two broken legs. There was even an old television set with its screen shattered into tiny shards of glass. Merida found Jack standing by the edge, overlooking the view of the Manhattan skyline. She walked to where he was then flung her arms around him.

Jack let out a small whimper of surprise when he felt someone hugging him from behind. He didn't have to turn around to know that it was Merida. Instinctively, his fingers laced through hers as he held her hands tightly.

"I'm sorry," Merida said, barely a whisper, but Jack had heard it.

And it was all it took for him to know that they would be okay.


	4. Monday

It was a Monday when she realized that she had fallen in love with him.

And.

It was a Monday when she agreed to go out with him.

Two separate Mondays, of course, about six months and 17 days apart.

Almost two years since that cold December night, Jack had crawled under Merida's skin deep enough for her to regard him as her best friend. She didn't know it was possible, but soon enough, he had become such a constant thing in her life that she could no longer remember a time when he was not in it. She had grown accustomed to his snarky comments, the perpetual smirk on his face, and his ridiculous yet highly amusing antics.

It was only until a seemingly typical day at the office that everything changed.

Merida wasn't sure how it happened, and for some time, she wasn't even aware of what indeed happened. All she was certain of was that she knew something had shifted between her and Jack.

And she positively hated it.

Or at least, she was terrified of it.

It started when she came to the office. A small growl escaped her lips when she caught sight of Jack's empty desk. His tardiness often did not sit well with her. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that though he was her best friend, she was still also his boss.

"Good morning, Merida. What's got you in such a sour mood?" Merida's secretary asked, her smile almost as bright as her long yellow hair.

"He's late again, isn't he, Punzie?" the redhead replied.

"Actually…" Rapunzel began but was cut off when another voice entered.

"_Actually_, I came in early today, princess." Merida heard the familiar cocky tune but felt an unusual chill run down her spine. She turned around and sure enough, Jack was standing there, two cups of coffee in his hands. It had been his routine to give her coffee to make up for his unpunctuality. He knew just the way she liked it—strong and black but with a hint of sugar. She never complained.

Merida glared at him but took the offered coffee anyway. Their fingers grazed for a moment and another electrifying jolt passed through her body. She retracted her hand in an instant, managed a smile that looked more like a grimace then went directly to her private office without so much as a word and a glance at Jack's confused face.

"What's up with her?" Jack asked Rapunzel who shrugged.

"It's your mess. You two fix it," she said knowingly before returning to typing on her computer.

For the rest of the day—as well as for the next two weeks—Merida tried to avoid Jack in the office as much as possible. It was utterly pointless, however, because at every possible moment, Jack was there—handing back files she requested or telling her of the information he found that could prove helpful in the case they were working on together. She was rather comforted by the idea that Jack had not noticed her odd behavior, but she still could not shake the slimy feeling of change that had occurred. She tried to wonder what had happened to Jack that made him suddenly so different. It was another stupid decision she made, as she merely ended up staring at him whenever they would see each other. Several thoughts would rush into her mind whenever she would look at him—how there was always a sparkle in his brown eyes when he was happy, how it must feel to run her hands through his hair, how his lips would taste. Merida would later realize, with great terror and bewilderment, that it was not Jack at all who had changed.

It was she who did.

Unknown to Merida, Jack was quite aware of the differences in her. For one thing, she always seemed so interested in what he was going to say but wasn't quite _there_. Her eyes were glazed in a way he had never seen before. But one day, when he attempted to catch her in the act by asking her to repeat what he had said, she perfectly parroted the entire half of his speech about the great irony of his uncle Aster who owns a candy shop getting married to a woman named Ana who was a dentist. She even did a rather flawless impression of him before ending with a "Do you actually think I wasn't listening, Frosty?"

To Jack's credit, he knew right away what was wrong with his friend. He would be stupid if he didn't, especially since he had been in the same position only a few months before. But he handled it far better than Merida, perhaps because he knew that it was only a matter of time before it happened. Of course, it didn't necessarily mean that he was not at all scared of the thought.

Jack did not act right away, as much as it tempted him. He gave Merida ample time for her to be sure of her feelings. He was always sure of his, and if he wanted to make a move, he wanted it to be at the right time.

He waited for six months. Then, as they were eating lunch on a Monday, Jack decided to commence his plan.

"Merida, can I ask you something?" Merida looked up from the burger she was eating. "Do you want to go to Central Park with me sometime? I've never been there for some reason, and I remember you telling me that you've only been there once."

The moment the words leapt out of Jack's mouth, Merida thought that she was going to panic. But when he looked at her, expecting an answer, her nerves calmed. "Sure. I guess there's no harm in taking a quick vacation from work. Saturday, then?"

"It's a date," Jack said in finality. He smiled softly and when he glanced up at Merida's face, her lips echoed the same.

The coming of Saturday was greeted by jittery nerves from both Jack and Merida. Jack had no idea that Merida would agree so easily while she was still baffled that he had asked so soon. Actually, she was more surprised that he asked at all. But the weather was lovely, the sky a beautiful shade of blue with patches of thick fluffy clouds. The wind was cool and refreshing. It could not have been a more perfect day.

Just before it ended, the couple found themselves walking aimlessly between the trees. The green grass was sprinkled with fallen orange leaves that crackled beneath their feet. Jack turned to Merida who was finishing the last bite of her corn dog. She seemed to be glowing as the rays of the dying sun fell upon her, the light illuminating the sparkles of gold in her hair that he had never noticed before. He thought her a goddess of the autumn forest, even when she chortled and a drop of mustard dripped at the corner of her mouth.

Jack stopped. Merida continued walking a few paces before she noticed him gone from her side. She looked at him curiously. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." He walked closer to her, took out his hand and wiped the mustard off with his thumb. "Thank you for today."

Merida smiled before she got up on her toes and planted a soft kiss on Jack's lips. It took only a moment before he responded and then, he was kissing her tenderly as his arms found their way around her waist.

"I can't believe you beat me to it," Jack said when they broke apart. Merida laughed as she rested her forehead against his.

"Does this mean we're officially together now?" she asked after a while, worry etched on her features.

Jack shrugged. "It depends. Do you want us to be together?"

Merida looked down at her feet. She wanted this. She wanted _him_. But she was afraid.

"What if we break up?" The words escaped Merida and tumbled to Jack.

He paused to think. Then, he answered, "Breaking up doesn't always have to be a bad thing, you know? _If_ ever that we do break up, at least we know that we gave it our best shot. But maybe we're not meant for that kind of relationship. And anyway, we could return to being what we're good at."

Merida's brow rose, asking the unspoken question for her.

"We'd get back together as best friends," Jack finished.

"Do you want to be with me, then?" Merida asked.

"More than you can ever imagine."

"And you're not in the least bit scared of what might happen?"

"No. Besides, today is all that matters. 'Worry about tomorrow when it comes,' I always say." The answer came easily to Jack because he found that his love for Merida made everything seem possible.

Jack put his hands on either side of Merida's face. "You're worth the risk." And with that, Merida kissed him again; this time, more passionately. His optimism was infectious and it was one of the things that she would grow to love most about him.

They never broke up, of course. And they never stopped being the best of friends either.

It was just the way of the universe.


	5. Tuesday

It was a Tuesday, when she heard him play.

It was not at all a lie when Merida told Jack how much she wanted to hear him play the piano. Truth be told, it was probably one of the reasons why she decided to become friends with him at all. She was very much intrigued, and she unknowingly vowed that she would see for herself the legend that was Jack Overland, the pianist, even if it was the last thing she would ever do.

One day, as they were taking a stroll down the city streets, Jack and Merida passed by a music store with a baby grand piano displayed at the glass window. He was the first to notice it, and the moment he did, he wished he hadn't. Merida felt him stiffen beside her; she followed his gaze and saw the piano.

"Jack! Come on. Let's go inside, ask how much it costs," she exclaimed, tugging his arm excitedly as if she were a little girl interested in buying the most adorable puppy from a pet store.

"No. We have a movie to watch, remember?" Jack muttered impatiently as he pulled her hand forward but to no avail.

Merida's hands snaked around Jack's arm firmly to keep him by her side. She said in a slow and dramatic tone, "Look at it. Isn't it a beauty? With the perfectly polished black wood and it's smooth curves. And don't even get me started on those gleaming keys. You know you want to get your hands on it, Jack."

For a moment, she could have almost sworn that she had him, that he would have to give in. But something flashed in his eyes, so quickly that she would not have noticed it if she hadn't been looking at him.

"I'm not so easily seduced by a piano anymore, princess," he said before leaning to whisper in her ear, "But I already am by you."

Merida's face turned dangerously scarlet as she bit her lip. Jack winked slyly, which earned him a punch in the chest and Merida leaving him standing alone in the street.

Since that day, Merida took it upon herself to make Jack's dream come true, as he had obviously pushed it to the very back of his mind. A piano fund was started, with Merida dropping spare changes in it every day.

When she had become a mother, however, Merida became overwhelmed with her new responsibilities that she had forgotten about it, too. Then, she became pregnant a second time, and she became even busier.

A month shy of their twelfth anniversary, little Anna stumbled into her parents' bedroom while her mother cleared unnecessary clutter from the closet. Her sister was having ballet lessons that day so she had no one to play with. Her daddy was out buying grocery for her mommy.

There were only so many things that could keep an eight-year-old from getting bored before she started pestering the only companion she had in the house. Anna found her mother stooped down in front of the closet. The room was a mess and she had to dodge discarded hangers, piles of clothes and boxes to get to Merida.

Sensing her younger daughter's presence, Merida turned around briefly. "What are you doing here, my wee lamb? Shouldn't you be playing?"

"Can't I stay here and help instead?" the girl answered with a pout.

Merida sighed, knowing that without Elsa, Anna was always restless. "All right, just promise me you won't make a mess of things."

"I don't have to, Mommy. You already got that covered." And at that, both mother and daughter laughed.

Anna followed her mother's example and crouched down at the side of the bed. At first, all she could see was an army of dust bunnies positioned throughout the floor, but when she turned her eyes to the right, she found a small box behind a wall of cobwebs. As her limbs were not long enough to grasp the box, Anna had to drag her body under the bed to reach it. When she did, she let out a small, "Yes!" before running to the other side of the bed to where Merida was.

"Mommy! Mommy! Look what I found," she yelped eagerly, showing the grimy box in front of her.

Merida was surprised when she saw Anna's grubby face but was even more shocked when she saw the box in her hands. The words written at the top were covered in dust, but Merida already knew what was written on it.

For Jack.

And despite the fact that Anna's cheeks were smudged with gray in places, Merida planted butterfly kisses all over her daughter's face.

Instead of using the money stored inside to purchase the piano, Merida decided to use the money she received from her previous case. The spare changes she used to treat both Anna and Elsa in an attempt to bribe them to keep from telling Jack about her idea. The girls squealed and giggled, thrilled to be part of their mother's secret.

On the day of their anniversary, the couple was awakened by their daughters who clambered up on the bed beside them. It was not included in their mother's plan, but both their parents were delighted by the surprise. Then Merida winked at Elsa when Jack was being distracted by Anna, and the eleven-year-old nodded in understanding.

"Daddy!" she yelled before flinging her arms around Jack's neck to wrap a blue handkerchief over his eyes. Merida tied it securely in place.

"Hey! What are you three up to?" Jack said as he felt himself being led out of the bed and his hands being pulled forward.

"It's a secret," he heard Elsa say. "Oh and be careful with the stairs now."

Jack was glad of the warning and carefully made his way down.

"You'll tell Daddy, won't you, Annie?" he asked, leaning slightly to his left.

"Nah uh, Daddy," Annie squeaked, shaking her head rapidly.

"I guess that leaves me with—"

Merida poked his back. "Don't you know that patience is a virtue, frosty? Besides, we're almost there."

Jack continued walking yet stopped when he bumped into his daughters. He felt Merida's hands untying the knot at the back of his head.

"Happy anniversary, love," she murmured before letting the handkerchief fall from his eyes.

To say that Jack was startled was an understatement. The sight in front of him was quickly blurred by the tears that had made their way in his eyes.

"Daddy's crying," Anna said as she pointed at her father's tear-stained face. She and her sister instantly threw their tiny arms around him. Merida followed suit, embracing her husband from behind.

Jack let go to kiss the girls' foreheads and his wife's lips. "I bet you're the mastermind behind all of this, aren't you?" he said to Merida.

She laughed. "You're not a complete idiot after all."

A simple reminder:

It was not a Tuesday that day.

Many times after the instrument came to his home, Jack would sit on the soft cushion of the piano seat, feeling the ivories beneath his fingers. Not once did he play, neither did he even dare to press a single key. He would close his eyes and remember a memory from long ago—his mother lay in bed, dying a little more every day. Emma's eyes filled with tears, silently asking him what they—what _he—_would do to save her. He would walk away after that, unaware that Merida was watching him from the kitchen.

If she was disappointed that he did not seem to like her present, she never openly showed it. Elsa and Anna, however, were more obviously upset that their father still refused to play. It was when Anna had sat beside him during one of his episodes that Jack found the courage to try again. Father and daughter were alone in the house, and Anna wanted Jack to teach her how to play. Her eyes were as blue as Merida's, and she was as eager as he was when he had asked his own father. Before Jack knew it, he was pressing the keys, telling Anna what they're called. "This key is C. That's G," he would say.

"Will you play something for me, Daddy?" the little girl said when they were finished discussing the names of the keys.

Jack smiled, but he was nervous. What if he couldn't play anymore? What if the music had left him when his parents died? It was this fear more than anything else that had kept him from trying again. But he could not fail his daughter. He had to play something for her. So Jack thought of the first song that he learned from his father, and as if on impulse, his hands made their way to the keyboard.

Jack had his eyes closed so when he heard the familiar melody, his heart felt like bursting. He was dumbfounded but continued with the song. There were a few mistakes here and there, but Jack couldn't care less. The music was alive in him once more, as it was when he was young. Then he realized that it never died—only forgotten. He felt as if he had found a friend he thought was long lost.

The first thing Jack wanted to do now that he knew he could still play was express his gratitude to the person who reminded him of the passion he thought was gone. What better way, he thought, could he thank her than writing her a song of her own? So whenever he found the opportunity to be alone in the house, Jack would set out to write the very first song he would ever compose.

After close to a year, Merida woke up one night from a nightmare, only to find the other side of the bed empty. She bolted upright, opening the lamp on the nightstand to her right. Jack was nowhere to be found. Just as she was about to get out of bed, she heard soft music coming from somewhere in the house. She silently made her way out of the room and went to the top of the staircase. From above, she could see Jack in front of the piano; his hands appeared as if they were floating above the keys. But the music swayed and reached her, and she found herself enchanted by it. She climbed down the stairs, careful not to make a sound so as not to interrupt Jack. In the dim yellow light, he seemed ethereal, as if he were a ghost that had only come to serenade her back to sleep. Ward off the nightmares. She found that she could listen to him forever, even if he only played that one song.

Much to her utter disappointment, however, Jack stopped abruptly without even reaching the end of the song. After a full minute of silence, she decided to make her presence known. Merida stood up from her hiding place at the foot of the stairs.

"Not bad," she said, but that was a lie—he was brilliant.

"Merida!" Jack shouted, almost loud enough to wake up the children. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you playing, and if I may recall, I gave you that piano months ago. Don't you think it was time for me to finally hear the great Jack Overland?" Merida said, walking over to him.

"I know, but I wished you didn't sneak up on me like that," he mumbled. He quickly took the sheets of paper sitting on the music rack and hid them by his feet.

Merida sat down beside him and let her fingers linger over the keys. "Why didn't you finish the song?"

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "It's not yet done," he stammered. "I mean, I'm still trying to remember it."

Luckily, Merida accepted his answer and asked for another song instead. Jack obliged, opting to play an old melody his father taught him. It was a slow piece, having a more morose tune than the first. Soon enough, Merida's eyelids felt heavy, and she was gently lulled to sleep. Jack made sure to finish the song first before turning to his sleeping wife whose head now rested on his shoulder. He kissed her hair then positioned himself to carry her back to their bed. Just as he was about to put her down, she smiled and whispered, "Thank you."


	6. Wednesday

It was a Wednesday when they first traveled as a family.

About a week before Elsa was to attend her first day of school, Jack decided to take his family to a short vacation and visit Disney World. Elsa had been dreading the coming of September ever since she turned five, for though she loved to learn, she was incredibly shy and terrified of the thought that she would have to meet new people. Jack wanted to ease his eldest daughter's nerves and thought that a trip to the "happiest place on earth" might just serve as a temporary cure to her anxiety. Besides, he had been with Merida for nearly eleven years, but except for the honeymoon in Scotland, they had yet to travel somewhere far together.

Anna was the one who reacted first when Jack gathered them in the living room to propose his plan. It was likely that all three responded at the same time, albeit differently. But it was Anna who jumped out of the couch and rushed to her father, and her tiny kisses blotted Jack's view.

"What do you say, Mer?" Jack asked, turning to his wife when his younger daughter had settled beside him.

"I think it's brilliant. But ultimately, it will not depend on me," Merida answered before turning to her eldest child who sat on the couch across from them. "Elsa? What do you think, my dear lass?"

The smile on Elsa's face made one thing clear—they were going to Disney World.

For her daughter, Merida was willing to take a short leave from work. Jack convinced her that it was better to leave on a weekday so the park would not be as crowded as it would be on weekends. And though she would not admit it, Merida was very much excited about the trip.

The sky was still a swirl of inky black when they left in Merida's Chevy. It had been her car since she first came to America, and while Jack had told her hundreds of times that it was just waiting to break down, she still refused to let go of it. It had never failed her despite his warnings. At least, not yet. Besides, Jack's own car was borrowed by Emma that week, so in spite of his misgivings about it, he had to settle with the Chevy.

All was going well when Merida took the wheel first to give Jack enough time to rest before his turn. Elsa and Anna wanted to remain awake for as long as they could, but both eventually gave out when the first rays of the sun emerged from the eastern sky. They barely had any sleep last night, their excitement keeping them from it. Merida chuckled when she glanced at the rearview mirror to find her daughters tangled in each other's limbs, mouths slightly open.

Driving down the open road with the window rolled down, Merida felt as if she were sixteen again in Scotland riding Angus. The summer wind blew her hair back, and she never felt more alive. How different her life could have been had she not listened to her mother and stayed in Scotland. And how different would it also be had she decided to pull through with her original plan. Because while Merida initially decided to leave the family business to pursue her dream of traveling once she won the MacGuffin Case, she eventually found satisfaction and contentment in her career as a lawyer. The talk of changing her fate had been merely just that—only words and nothing more.

Merida allowed her eyes to travel to the seat beside her where Jack slept, his head resting uncomfortably against the window. When he first came to the firm as an intern, he was but a tall lanky boy who remarkably knew how to push all her buttons. Now, as he sat only inches away from her, she could not deny that he had grown into a far better man than she thought he would be. Her fate changed when she met Jack. Or perhaps he was always meant to be a part of it. Either way, she could not say that she regretted it in the least.

At that moment, Jack woke up. He rubbed the sleep from his bleary eyes then reached out to hold Merida's hand at the wheel. She looked at him, and without words, she understood what he wanted to say. In spite of enjoying the drive, Merida could only hold on a few minutes longer. She stopped the car at the side of the road, and she and Jack switched places. When her body slumped against the seat, she instantly fell asleep.

Their agreement was for Jack to wake them when they reach a diner in Virginia for breakfast. And while they were fortunate to have reached Virginia, Merida was awakened for very different reasons.

"What happened?" she asked when she was stirred awake.

Jack nervously dragged a hand to his nape, his face contorting as it usually did when he was thinking. How could he explain what had happened to his wife without him getting mauled?

He ended up saying, "It turns out that the Chevy hates me as much as I hate it."

Merida narrowed her eyes at him, and Jack had no choice but to continue. "The car suddenly died while I was driving. I was lucky enough to stop it here." Merida looked out the window to see that they were parked at the shoulder of the road. In the middle of nothing but rolling green hills. "And now, the Chevy won't start."

The car never stopped before with her, as Jack had described, and she started to think that maybe the car really did not like him at all. Merida reached out to turn the key herself, but the engine merely let out a soft clicking sound.

"I've tried it many times already. I've even checked the battery," Jack said. "There's a gas station only a few kilometers away from here. You stay here with the kids. I'll go get help."

Merida bit her tongue to keep from spewing out harsh words. She nodded and accepted his offer.

Jack was halfway out of the car when he turned back. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

Merida's face softened at his words. "It's not your fault. It was only a matter of time."

The tow truck came almost an hour later, and by then, Elsa and Anna had become quite agitated because of hunger. When they reached the nearest town, Jack told Merida to take them to the diner while he supervised the fixing of the car. She refused to let him let him leave without eating first, and he had no choice but to concede to her condition.

To distract the girls from the distressing situation, Merida took them around the town after lunch. By midafternoon, they met up with Jack at the repair shop. His mouth was compressed in a thin, hard line.

"The car can't be fixed until tomorrow," he told Merida.

"We found a small inn where we can stay for the night," she replied, trying to keep the mood hopeful. Jack was rarely unoptimistic, and seeing him so downtrodden made her feel rather uncomfortable. "Let's just make the most of the day before it ends."

"Mommy! Ice cream!" Anna shrieked as she jumped. Her tiny finger was pointing at a shop across the street.

"That sounds like a great idea," Jack said, carrying Anna in his arms before going to the ice cream parlor. Merida held Elsa's hand as they trailed behind them.

Jack bought soft serves for all of them. The sweet, cold treat was delightful against the warm weather and the day's misfortunes. The girls ate their ice creams as they watched the fishes in the aquarium displayed at the pet store beside the ice cream parlor.

"Daddy, look!" Jack heard Anna say, and he laughed when he saw her. Her mouth was in a shape of an O, her hands at either side of her face to puff out her cheeks.

"What's what wrong with your face, Annie?" he asked, bending down so that they were at eye-level.

"Anna's a fish," Elsa replied for her sister, giggling as she sat down beside her father.

"I didn't know I gave birth to a fish." Merida laughed.

Anna had been too busy making fish impressions that she did not notice her ice cream slowly melting in her sister's hand. Jack took it from Elsa who was grateful that her hands were saved from its sticky residue.

"Hey Fishface, your ice cream's melting," he said, handing the dessert to Anna. She quickly took it and began licking the sides of the cone.

The mention of Anna's new pet name led Elsa to wonder where her parents got their nicknames for each other. She asked her father first why he often called her mother "princess." Merida shook her head disapprovingly when Jack smirked at her.

"It's a very interesting story actually," he said, grinning at Elsa. "It was the first month of my work as an intern in your mother's firm. I was in her office because I needed her to look over a few documents. The door suddenly banged opened, and I saw your grandfather for the first time. He yelled, 'Where's my little princess?'" He even imitated Fergus's deep, jolly voice much to the girls' amusement.

"That was very humiliating," Merida muttered, hiding her face behind her hands.

"For you, maybe," Jack teased. "It was very amusing to see my hotheaded dragon lady of a boss be called a princess."

Elsa came to the rescue of her mother. "Where did 'frosty' come from?" she asked, and this time, it was Merida who beamed widely while Jack frowned.

"That's an even _more_ interesting story," Merida began. "It was the winter of '03, and your father wagered a bet that he could climb one of the trees in Central Park without being caught. You see, he was always quite the troublemaker. And the fact that he felt old that time only inspired him even more. To his credit, he did reach halfway up the tree. Right before he fell on his bottom. A park ranger saw him, and he was fined almost $500 because he broke a few branches. To top it off, your father was absolutely covered in snow. His hair almost looked white when he sat up."

Jack scowled at Merida who seemed to be enjoying the memory way too much for his liking. The latter, on the other hand, couldn't care less and only laughed some more at his discomfort. He glanced, instead, at the darkening skyline behind the silhouetted buildings and felt a twinge of disappointment wash over him again.

"I'm sorry if we may not be able to make it to Disney World as early as we originally planned," said Jack, putting each of his hands on his daughters' backs.

"Don't worry, Daddy," replied Elsa as she looked up from her half-eaten ice cream. "I like this much better."

They never got to Disney World. But they were happy.

Yes, they were very happy indeed.


	7. Thursday

It was a Thursday when they said goodbye.

Merida felt her body being shaken roughly. The sleep had been futile; her head was throbbing even more painfully than before. She forced her eyes to open and saw a blurry outline of Elsa. When her vision cleared, the frightened look on her daughter's face slowly registered in her mind. A sense of panic washed over her.

"Mom, something happened," Elsa mumbled. "We have to go. We have to get to the hospital."

"What are you talking about?" Merida asked, still trying to make sense of what was happening.

Elsa breathed one word—"Dad."

They received a phone call just a few minutes before, Elsa would later explain, but Merida was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to understand everything. She and Jack were supposed to meet up with a client that day, but she was suffering from a terrible headache. Though reluctant to leave his sick wife, Jack opted to go the meeting on Merida's insistence. However, just before he was about to leave, the client decided to postpone it.

"Why?" Merida had asked when Jack told her.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Says he has a few things to take care of. Personally, I don't mind. I know I have my own wife to take care of." Jack then jumped on the bed, suit and all, before gathering a peeved Merida in his arms.

"Jack! You're making my headache worse," she exclaimed.

"Don't worry. I'll fix it for you, too," he said and kisses her temple.

"I don't understand. The meeting was cancelled," Merida thought aloud as they were nearing the hospital.

It was Anna who answered. "After you fell asleep, Dad said Mr. Macintosh called again. It turned out that he would be even busier tomorrow and decided to meet up with Dad today again. He left just a few hours ago," she explained, trying her best to remember despite her increasing panic.

Once they reached the hospital, Merida and her daughters rushed to where the woman at the front desk said Jack was. Their feet led them to the third floor—where the intensive care unit was located.

Having been there only a few months before, Merida did not have much trouble finding the way. She buzzed the intercom, and indicated her identity.

"I'm here for my husband, Jack Overland," she added.

Fortunately, they waited only a second before the doors were opened, leading them to a wide corridor with another set of double doors. Merida cleaned her hands with the provided sanitizing gel and instructed Elsa and Anna to do the same before they proceeded to the main unit. Since they did not know for sure where Jack was, Merida went to the nurses' station. He was in the fifth bed space.

When they arrived there, a doctor and two nurses greeted them. Merida moved to get a better look at Jack; her heart immediately sunk at the sight of him. The top of his head was wrapped in bandages. Scrapes and bruises were distributed at different parts of his flesh. A large tube was dangling from his mouth, connected to a large machine. Despite his physical injuries, he seemed fine. Almost sleeping. But he was in the ICU, and Merida knew that being there never meant well.

"Are you a relative of Mr. Overland?" the doctor asked.

"He's my husband," Merida answered. All she wanted was to go to Jack's side and hold his hand. But first, she had to know what exactly happened.

"Mr. Overland lost control over his car when it skidded on an icy road," he began. "He hit his head badly. We've done some tests on him. I'm sorry."

There was a loud ringing in Merida's ears. No. He could not have said it. "I'm sorry" was only meant to be said when the patient was dead. Jack was alive. He was breathing for heaven's sake! And when Merida came closer, he was warm to the touch. He could not have been dead. But then, the doctor repeated the cursed words, and she finally caught fragments of his speech.

No responses.

Apnea testing.

Lack of oxygen.

Brain dead.

Merida felt the floor crumble beneath her feet as the world fell apart.

Jack had been declared brain dead for a week, but every day since the accident, Merida sat by his bedside, her hand entwined in his. Merida's gaze was fixed at his chest, slowly rising and falling. She laughed bitterly—it seemed like a cruel joke. He was breathing, yet he was dead. Jack was always one to make jokes.

But never that cruel.

"Jack, for goodness' sake, wake up already, will you?" she muttered for the hundredth time that day alone, shaking him softly.

"Merida," she heard someone say. She tore her gaze away from Jack to see her father standing at the opposite side of the bed.

"No, Dad. I already know what you're going to say," Merida said tiredly. "I can't do it. Not yet. Elsa and Anna need their father. And you'll see; he's going to wake up."

Fergus tried a different approach. "I only wanted to know if you'd like to come home. I know your children need their mother as much as they need their father."

Merida glanced at Jack. "What if he wakes up?" she asked.

"Then the doctor will let us know," he answered, not having the heart to tell his daughter that it was highly unlikely.

Merida kissed her husband's forehead and caressed his hair lovingly before joining her father. She did not want to leave Jack behind, but Fergus was right; her daughters needed her.

Elsa and Anna embraced their mother when she and their grandfather came home. The past week had not been easy for either of them, too, and Merida's absence made things harder. Nevertheless, the siblings were able to pull themselves together for the sake of their mother. They let her rest while they prepared her dinner.

After taking a long warm bath, Merida heard a knock on the door. It swung open, and Elsa and Anna brought in a tray of food. Merida managed a smile, grateful to have such caring children. They left her again to let her eat. She hardly touched the food, however, despite its mouthwatering smell. She was too busy eating her grief until it was enough to fill her.

When the girls returned to get the tray, Anna frowned at the still-filled plate. On the other hand, it was all Elsa needed to finally speak out what she had wanted to tell Merida.

"Mom, it's time," Elsa said softly.

"What?" Merida asked, looking at her.

Elsa bit her lip as she braved a step towards her mother. "Dad needs rest. It's okay Mom. We understand now."

"No," Merida said, and she repeated it over and over, each one louder than the first. She shook her head as she stood up from her perch on the bed. Her anger was rapidly building in her chest. "Don't you dare say that, Elsa Overland! You _don't _understand."

"No! I do. Anna and I both do. Dad's not going to wake up," she exclaimed.

"Elsa," Anna quietly cautioned, but her sister paid no heed to her.

"Even if we wait a thousand years, he's never going to wake up again," Elsa finished. Her voice was loud, and although she struggled to keep her tone respectful, her words whipped her mother harshly. Merida's anger spilled, and before she could control herself, she slapped Elsa on the face.

The exchange had been witnessed by Fergus who stood at the doorway, looking worriedly at one face to another. "Merida!" he scolded.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Elsa mumbled before quickly running out of the room. Anna paused, considering who she should go to, but ultimately followed Elsa to leave her mother and grandfather the privacy they needed.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I don't know what came over me," Merida said, burying her face in her hands as she sat back on the bed.

It was Fergus's first time helping Merida cope with a problem, and he was not in the least bit prepared for it. It had never been his job. Elinor made sure of that. How he wished she was there now.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to say this, Merida. But by keeping Jack on that life support, you're only making it harder for the both of you," he began.

Merida turned away from him. "No—"

"This is not about Anna and Elsa anymore. I know you know that. You have to let him go. You have to say goodbye."

"How?" Merida cried, whipping back to face her father. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she had not the strength left to fight them.

Fergus felt his mouth run dry.

How _do_ you say goodbye to someone you love?

"It's not fair, dad!" Merida continued. "Mum got to say goodbye to _you_, to me. She was surrounded by everyone she loved when she died. Jack left without even saying goodbye to me!"

Merida did not wait for her father's reply and went out of the room. She needed desperately to be alone. Without thinking, she opened the nearest door and dragged herself inside. Merida fell on the velvet settee, and there she cried for a long time.

When there were no more tears left to shed, Merida sat up. She opened the lamp nearby and a fuzzy orange light chased away the darkness. This was her and Jack's study, where they would spend many hours of the day working. She had wanted an office of her own, afraid that Jack's presence would be a distraction to her. But he had convinced her that it was better if they were together. And as always, he had been right.

Merida wrapped her arms around her knees, feeling more alone than ever. She aimlessly scanned the entirety of the room—from the tall bookshelves to the wide oak desks positioned side by side. Her eyes fell on the small television in front of her. For the first time, she noticed something luminous at the edge of the table. Merida leaned forward and reached for the object. It was Anna's camcorder.

"What's this doing here?" she asked to no one in particular. Ever since Anna took filmmaking classes last summer, she had decided to pursue a career as a director. She had been asking for a camcorder for months before her parents gave in and bought it for her birthday just two weeks before.

Merida found wires connected from the camcorder to the television. She turned both on and pressed play.

"Hullo there. This is Anna Overland, and you're about to watch my very first documentary," Anna said, smiling at the camera before turning serious. "This is _A Day in the Life of an Overland_."

The scene changed, and the camera began moving through the hallway, then stopped in front of a blue door.

"This is Elsa's room. Let's see what she's up to," Merida heard Anna say before rapping her knuckles on the door with her special knock. A faint "Come in" was heard from the other side, and Anna made her way in.

Elsa was sitting on the bed, a book in her hand. She glanced up when Anna entered.

"What are you reading?" her little sister asked. Elsa raised the book so that its cover could be seen. _The Great Gatsby _was printed on it in big yellow letters.

"Do you plan on doing anything else today?"

Elsa shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the book. "Sorry Anna. Try bothering Dad. I hear he's finished it." And with that, she spared a second to wink at her sister.

The next scene showed Anna navigating the last steps of the stairs. She turned the camera, focusing it at her father who sat in front of the piano.

"Dad," Anna called in her singsong voice, saying the word as if it had two syllables. "What are_ you_ doing? A little bird told me that you finally finished the song."

Jack turned his head towards the camera, and Merida caught her breath. He smiled with his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I have, Fishface," he said.

"How long did it take you to make?"

He scrunched his nose as he looked up at the ceiling, pretending to think. "Three years, give or take."

"Why did it take so long? You slacked off, didn't you?"

"Slacked off? Me? You try making your own composition. See how hard it is." Anna's laughter was heard in the background, and it blended musically with Jack's. Merida felt her heart breaking.

When he calmed down, Jack added with a smile, "Difficult but definitely worth it. If it's for her, for your mother, it's always worth it."

"Well, can we hear it then?"

Her father waggled a finger in front of the camera. "Not before your mother does."

"Come on, Dad. I promise I won't spoil it for Mom. Cross my heart."

Jack sighed, hanging his head for effect. "Fine," he muttered. "You know I can't say no to your adorable fish face, Anna."

Anna turned the camcorder so that she was facing the lens. "We are about to hear the master play," she whispered dramatically. She focused the camera back to Jack who was sniggering at his daughter's eccentricity.

Jack's fingers danced over the gleaming ivory keys, his eyes closed. It was always only whenever he played the piano that Merida would see him so solemn, his face stripped off of his playful mask. The song sounded familiar as she heard more of it, and she realized that it was the same tune he played the first time she heard him. Merida shut her eyes tightly, and her mind took her back to a faraway memory. She felt fresh, warm tears running down her cheeks. The song was coming to an end, and she slowly began to understand. Jack had made the song _for her_. Not to ward off the nightmares. But to give her the strength she needed to face them.

Merida opened her eyes just in time to see Jack press the final keys. He let his hands linger over them for a moment or two before withdrawing them back to his lap. He turned his head to the camera and beamed.

"Merida's Song," he said, and then added as an afterthought, "by Jack Overland."

The video stopped, and the screen turned black. Merida saw her reflection in the television, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She laughed, and this time, it was not bitter. The moment she heard the doctor's verdict, she knew that it was only Jack who could console her. As days went by, she began to lose hope. She thought it impossible, but even then, he continued to prove her wrong. Merida found comfort in the fact that Jack could never leave her without saying goodbye. And this time, she was right.

Outside, it had begun to snow.


End file.
